How to Immigrate to the U.S.A

There are several ways in which an interested individual may immigrate to the United States.

The United States of America has been deemed as the land of opportunities. It is for this reason that a lot of people from around the globe seek immigration to the United States. If you are one of these people, it may be a good idea to first learn how to immigrate to the U.S.A.

Methods for Immigration

Here are a few methods that people can use to legally immigrate to the United States of America.

Immigration through relationship to U.S. Citizen
The easiest way to migrate to the United States is through family. If you have family in the U.S.A., you can get a Green Card by simply filing a petition through your relative and waiting for it to be approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. The term “relative” includes your parent, child or spouse. Once you’ve acquired a Green Card, you then only have to hold the Green Card status for 5 years (or 3 years if you are a spouse of a U.S. Citizen) and pass the language and civics test to become a legal U.S. Citizen. In this method, the process will only take about 6 to 7 years for a child of a U.S. Citizen under 21 years of age and about 12 to 28 years for individuals who are older.

Immigration through relationship to permanent resident (Green Card holder)
Any spouse or child of a Lawful Permanent Resident, or LPR, can immigrate to the U.S.A. with varying wait times depending on their home country. For the spouse or minor children of Lawful Permanent Residents of the United States, the process can take about 13 years. For some, however, it may take up to 20 years. Keep in mind that if your petition under this method is pending, you cannot file or apply for any other non-immigrant U.S. visa.

Immigration for skilled labor and professionals
Individuals who hold college degrees with some specialization from the U.S.A. or other outside countries have a chance to become immigrants. You will need to get a job offer where your employer will be willing to pay about $8000 to $10000 for legal fee in order to prove that you have special skills. After you do this, you can then live and work in the U.S.A. on a non-immigrant visa. After doing so, you can then apply for a Green Card to upgrade your status to immigrant.

Businessmen and entrepreneurs
Individuals who are willing to invest $1 million in the U.S.A. have the opportunity to get a Green Card and a permanent resident status in 18 months. After doing so, they can apply for U.S. Citizenship to become legal immigrants of the United States.